Why You Should Open Your Heart To A Senior Cat This November

November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month, and we here at Cattime could not be happier about it. We know that kittens are adorable and hard to resist, but there is so much to love about owning a senior cat. If you’ve been thinking of opening up your home to a new feline friend, we urge you to look into adopting an older cat. Here are five reasons senior cats rule.

1. Most of the time, they come trained

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Senior cats are often surrendered at shelters after living in a domestic, home environment for a long time. Because they have lived in a house before, they are likely to already be litter trained and have the etiquette of a house cat. Kittens may not know that 2:30AM is not the time to start playing whack-a-mole with your toes, but a senior cat knows.

2. They are grateful

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Imagine living most of your life in comfort where you don’t have to worry about food or shelter. Then, for some reason unbeknownst to you, you are suddenly dropped into a place that has hundreds of confused, sad, and scared people in it and you’re one of them. This is often the situation for senior cats in shelters. Senior cats are given up for a myriad of reasons, whether it be because an owner passed away or because the previous owner did not feel responsible enough to care for the cat any longer. Whatever the reason, the senior cat that was dumped does not understand it and will be freaked out in their new shelter life. When you rescue a senior cat from this scenario, you are quite literally their savior. They will know this and give you all the sandpaper kisses and snuggles to prove their eternal gratefulness for saving them.

3. Senior cats are cool as a cucumber

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Senior cats do not need as much exercise and stimulation as a two month old kitten does. Most of the time, senior cats are completely content sunbathing near a window or snuggling up next to you. While seniors do need to spend quality time with their owners, the demand for attention is no where near as large as with a kitten who needs to be trained and socialized.

4. Their personalities are already set

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When you adopt an adorable kitten, it is difficult to tell what their temperament may be as an adult. When you adopt a senior cat, those personalities have been in place for a long time. Adopting a senior cat allows you to truly find a cat whose personality matches yours and your family’s needs. Even if your new senior cat has some habits that aren’t ideal, it is still possible to teach an old cat new tricks and manners.

5. You are giving a living creature a second chance at life

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Kittens usually do not have a difficult time finding a forever home once they hit a shelter. People are drawn to their tiny frames, adorable mews, and everything kitten related. Senior cats, unfortunately, do not have that natural magnetism. They are often looked over for younger cats and if they are in a shelter that is hitting capacity, they are the first ones to be put on the euthanization list. Senior cats are just as loving, adorable, silly, playful, and rewarding as a kitten, so why not bring one into your home?

We don’t want to shame anyone for wanting a kitten. We get it. But if you are thinking about bringing a furry friend home, please consider taking home a senior cat. There are so many rescues that have senior cat programs, such as Jake’s Place, Good Old Tails, and Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue in hopes of finding them a forever home. Feel free to check out the seniors we have listed here at CatTime as well. If you want a cat, consider saving a life and adopting a senior cat this month.